How to Enable extra compiz fusion effects in Mandriva Linux One Spring 2008

Posted by Saad Ibrahim 24 August, 2008

I have always used windows infact ever since I started using computer and honestly I have never been a fan of Linux but Mandriva Linux One has changed my opinion about Linux, it has been called “almost perfect Linux distro” by many and rightly so. It is the easiest to use Linux distro i have ever came across and I have started recommending it to every person that wants to switch to Linux from windows.

Now back to compiz fusion, well enabling compiz fusion effects in Mandriva Linux One was a no brainer and easiest to do compared to other Linux distros like ubuntu, when you are done installing Mandriva Linux one it asks you whether you want to use Metisse (that is the 3d desktop effect manager that comes with Mandriva which doesn’t have all the features that compiz has) , Compiz Fusion or no 3d effect at all, just select compiz fusion or if you missed that you can manually select compiz fusion by clicking on the Configure Your Computer icon in the panel (near the show desktop icon) and goto hardware tab and click on Configure 3D desktop effects under the Configure graphics heading. When Mandriva loads up for the first time you will immediately start seeing compiz fusion effects if you chose it. Mandriva installs CompizConfig by default so that you can configure compiz fusion easily, to access compiz config goto menu–>Tools–>CompizConfig Settings Manager.

Now there is a problem Mandriva by default doesn’t have some cool extra compiz fusion plugins like “3D windows” plugin which presents open windows in 3D way by elevating them from the desktop, “Paint Fire on the screen” plugin allow you to write on your screen with fire text which looks uber cool, “Snow” plugin which shows snow on your desktop and few more.

now its time to install those extra plugins, here’s how to install the extra plugins:

Goto Menu and click on Install & Remove Software

it will now ask you for root password enter it

Now the software management window will open up search for compiz here using the search box and now you have to install two packages here by ticking the check boxes next to these two packages:

1. compiz-fusion-plugins-extra

2. compiz-fusion-plugins-unsupported

now click apply and let it download the packages from internet once its installed you can goto compiz config again and you will see some new effects there, enable them and enjoy the eye candy